Liang Xin’an gazed deeply at Zhao Ya, a peculiar glint flashing in his eyes.
Because Zhao Ya was far younger than he had imagined.
Previously, when Gui Heshu mentioned Zhao Ya’s youth, Liang Xin’an was somewhat dismissive.
After all, young prodigies were not uncommon these days.
In any sect, a sweep would turn up a lot of so-called geniuses who gained fame at a young age.
But upon actually meeting Zhao Ya, Liang Xin’an was still taken aback.
Firstly because of his youth, and secondly because of the aura that Zhao Ya exuded.
This aura was subtle yet made Liang Xin’an feel a sense of dread, as if facing not a refined young man, but an extremely terrifying presence.
This could only prove one thing, that Zhao Ya’s strength was even more fearsome than the rumors suggested.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so daunting by mere presence alone.
However, Liang Xin’an soon felt a strong curiosity towards Zhao Ya.
Interesting, this is exactly how Beyond the World should be.
Meanwhile, seeing that Liang Xin’an hadn’t spoken and that the conversation seemed to stall, Gui Heshu hurriedly spoke up.
"Young Hero Zhao, this is a gentleman who once did a great favor for the Gui Family, his name is... "
Liang Xin’an suddenly interrupted Gui Heshu’s words and said in a low voice, "Mechanical Sect, Mechanical Technology Department, Liang Xin’an."
Zhao Ya smiled slightly, "Azure Dragon Temple, Zhao Ya!"
Liang Xin’an also smiled, then raised the Mechanical Crossbow in his hand.
"The Crossbow Arrows are well made; may I take a look?"
Zhao Ya didn’t hesitate and immediately said, "Of course!"
Moments later, Zhao Ya led Liang Xin’an into the house where the Crossbow Arrow Workbench was stored.
At this time, Jin Fu was busy in front of the machine.
With this machine, the training load of the Azure Dragon Temple Crossbow Team had greatly increased, leading to a significant rise in the demand for Crossbow Arrows.
Thus, Jin Fu had to busy himself in the house for over ten hours a day just to barely keep up.
Liang Xin’an stood at the door, not intruding, but watched with an unusual look.
Jin Fu deftly operated the seemingly clumsy machine, from which exquisitely crafted Crossbow Arrows emerged seamlessly.
The entire process was filled with a strange beauty.
As Liang Xin’an watched, his eyes grew brighter, and Zhao Ya, observing his expression from the side, also felt a slight stir.
Just then, this originally delightful scene was suddenly accompanied by a discordant noise.
The machine in operation began to emit a creaking sound.
Noticing this, Jin Fu immediately stopped his actions and quickly turned off the machine.
The whole process took very little time, and judging by Jin Fu’s calm expression, it was clear he had dealt with this situation before.
Once the machine was halted, Jin Fu cautiously approached to inspect it, then slightly frowned.
"Is the problem serious?"
Liang Xin’an had somehow moved further up, curiously asking.
"Well, it’s a bit tricky, but not too serious." Jin Fu replied without even looking up, focusing on his work.
Then he picked up his tools and began repairing.
The reason the workbench had stopped was due to a broken gear inside.
But replacing it required dismantling the outer layer first.
Jin Fu carefully removed the outer gears with iron pliers, then reached for the crowbar.
At this moment, Liang Xin’an promptly handed the crowbar to him.
Jin Fu looked up, and Liang Xin’an smiled back at him, then softly said, "You focus on your work, I’ll lend you a hand."
Jin Fu didn’t think much of it, assuming this was a senior from the temple, and continued the repairs.
Whenever Jin Fu needed a tool, Liang Xin’an would swiftly and accurately hand it to him.
Don’t underestimate this small help.
With this assistance, Jin Fu managed to remove the broken gear in half the usual time.
Looking at the gear made from hardwood, now broken in the middle, Liang Xin’an suddenly asked.
"Why not use iron gears? Wouldn’t that make them less prone to breaking?"
"It’s not that I don’t want to; it’s that I can’t." Jin Fu replied absentmindedly while taking out a brand-new wooden gear.
"Why can’t you?"
"Because I tried, and the difficulty of processing iron into such regular and uniform gears is extremely high. At least I can’t do it now, so I have to make do with these wooden ones for now."
While speaking, Jin Fu didn’t pause in his work and deftly installed the new gear.
Once everything removed was put back in place, Jin Fu tested the machine to ensure it was functioning properly, then breathed a sigh of relief and turned around, only to be startled.
For Zhao Ya, Gui Xuanqing, and others stood behind him.
"Senior Brother, when did you arrive?"
"Been here for a while!" Zhao Ya replied with a smile, then looked at Liang Xin’an.
"How was it?"
Liang Xin’an didn’t respond but circled the unsightly machine several times, even fiddling with it a bit.
Only then did Jin Fu realize the person he had spoken to and who had assisted him wasn’t a temple elder.
But who was he?
Just as Jin Fu was puzzled, Liang Xin’an suddenly looked up and met his eyes with an intense gaze.
"Did you make this?"
"No, with Senior Brother Gui’s help." Jin Fu answered honestly.
Gui Xuanqing quickly added, "Most of the work was done by Junior Brother Jin; I only provided some suggestions for improvement."